Big Ten Championship game to be on Fox

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Ugh. Just tell me it wont be Joe Buck.
 


Considering Fox has a substantial, and soon to be majority ownership stake in the Big Ten Network, this is as shocking as the sun rising in the East.
 



Wouldn't be surprised that having the B10 Championship Game would be on Fox was written into the contract when Fox bought the 49% ownership share in the BTN, if the B10 ever went to 12 teams. Makes you wonder what else could be written into that contract.

Also what do people think of the chances the B10 buying out Fox's ownership share in the BTN? Assuming that 49% of the profits went to Fox that would take a nice chunk of change.

And Fox is going to have a majority share in the BTN soon, really ATTF? That scares me that the B10 is losing control of the network like that.
 

mnboiler said:
Also what do people think of the chances the B10 buying out Fox's ownership share in the BTN? Assuming that 49% of the profits went to Fox that would take a nice chunk of change.
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When the network was first launched I thought about the same thing. Why let Fox have 49%? However, I've since changed my mind when I realized the huge leverage fox has with the various pay tv service providers. At the end of the day what's most important is how many homes receive BTN for both $$ and exposure to potential recruits. Without Fox I don't believe BTN would have near the visibility or income. My $0.02.
 

And Fox is going to have a majority share in the BTN soon, really ATTF? That scares me that the B10 is losing control of the network like that.
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I'm going to retract this statement. I know at one time I am certain I read that this would happen at some point, but now I can't find any documented evidence that this is actually correct now, so hopefully that's not the case, and apparently isn't anything that is to happen anytime soon.
 



If the network is successful, it is highly unlikely the conference would sell to the point where they lose majority control.
 

Rosemountian said:
If the network is successful, it is highly unlikely the conference would sell to the point where they lose majority control.
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Agreed. If I understood things correctly, the whole point of the 51/49 split was to put the Big Ten on better financial ground starting out. Giving Fox that much of a share eliminated much of the startup costs for the Big Ten and it also protected them in case the network took time to really get moving. Now that things are humming along, I can't see them doing anything that would cede further control over their network to a corporate entity.
 

Yup, the fox deal was 100% in order to have easier negotiations with the cable companies. And for Fox to assume roughly half of the financial risk involved with starting up a network (which was at the time called a stupid/crazy idea by many).
 

Rosemountian said:
Yup, the fox deal was 100% in order to have easier negotiations with the cable companies. And for Fox to assume roughly half of the financial risk involved with starting up a network (which was at the time called a stupid/crazy idea by many).
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It had to be done. Fox = DirecTV, = instant market penetration and leverage with the Cable companies and Dish Network. Contrast this to when the Twins launched Victory Sports. No pre-existing distribution, Fox/DirecTV holding out to try and crush you = epic fail. The Twins should have gone to Dish Network (since DirecTV would never partner with them) and cut a deal for whatever they had to. They didn't. They failed. All of this is beside the fact that not having to start completely from nothing with regards to talent, etc. was huge.
 



Oh my did you have to mention Victory Sports? That was a dark time for television sports viewing in Minnesota. :)
 


They really need to get some special announcers to do this game. Can we pull Pat Summerall out of cryogenics to call the game?
 




Section2 said:
They really need to get some special announcers to do this game. Can we pull Pat Summerall out of cryogenics to call the game?
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No thanks. Listening to him do the Cotton Bowl is bad enough. The guy was incoherent when Fox first booted him 8 years ago, it's like listening to Sid try and do play-by-play now. Painful, especially from someone who used to be the best. I was fearful that was how Ray Christensen would sound when he came back for the Air Force game, but he sounded like he never left. Granted it's probably a lot easier to turn it on for one series then a full game.
 

13 Lined Ground Squirrel said:
College football needs another Keith Jackson. Maybe the BT could find somebody equally folksy, but with an upper midwest tilt.

"Uff da, what a quarterback dat guy!"
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I grew up loving him, his voice meant "big game" to me! I am also a fan of Mr. Enberg.


I am beyond thrilled that the BCS games are now on ESPN. I think they do any extremely solid job with CFB. I even enjoy the "Taste of the Town" segment and have often wondered where Todd would go and what he would get in MN.
 

I know he is more of a baseball guy but I always enjoyed listening to Dick Bremer back in the day when he did the gopher basketball games. He seems like he knows how to call a game so maybe he wouldn't be so bad at football. Gotta be better than Dave Lee at least.
 

CentralGopher said:
I know he is more of a baseball guy but I always enjoyed listening to Dick Bremer back in the day when he did the gopher basketball games. He seems like he knows how to call a game so maybe he wouldn't be so bad at football. Gotta be better than Dave Lee at least.
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I saw a replay of the 1995 Purdue @ MN game on the Big Ten Network not long ago. The game was originally broadcast locally on MSC a Dick Bremer was doing the play by play. He wasn't half bad.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
I saw a replay of the 1995 Purdue @ MN game on the Big Ten Network not long ago. The game was originally broadcast locally on MSC a Dick Bremer was doing the play by play. He wasn't half bad.
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People like to rip on Dick and Bert (who in the local media doesn't get ripped on?) but they're actually quite good. Bremer is an excellent play-by-play guy and I miss him and Dutcher doing Gopher basketball.
 

For college football there is nobody quite like Brent Musburger. When he say "You are looking live at (insert legendary college football name, or nickname, here)" I get goosebumps every time. To me Musburger has a way of laying out a major moment like no one else in the business.

But for March Madness it's gotta be Gus Johnson. No offense Jim Nantz but how much better would it have been Gordan Hayward's last second shot was called by Gus Johnson? Leave the Master's to Nantz and the Final Four to Johnson, CBS.
 

According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Trib, Fox is paying the Big Ten 140 million for 6 games (i.e. approx 23 million bucks per game). For comparison, CBS pays the SEC about 55 million per year to broadcast the best SEC game each week for the whole season. If TG is right, the Big Ten continues to assert itself as the best/most marketable athletic property in college sports.
 

GoAUpher said:
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Trib, Fox is paying the Big Ten 140 million for 6 games (i.e. approx 23 million bucks per game). For comparison, CBS pays the SEC about 55 million per year to broadcast the best SEC game each week for the whole season. If TG is right, the Big Ten continues to assert itself as the best/most marketable athletic property in college sports.
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Are they paying the Big 10 this, or are they paying the Big 10 Network this? Obviously, 51% of 140 million is a lot less impressive, but the big # in the press release makes everyone happy, even though half the $$ is just changing pockets.
 

I really hope that they have BTN personnel work that game. The last thing I wanna see is NFL announcers try to talk intelligently about CFB (or try to speak intelligently at all). It's painful.
 

howeda7 said:
People like to rip on Dick and Bert (who in the local media doesn't get ripped on?) but they're actually quite good. Bremer is an excellent play-by-play guy and I miss him and Dutcher doing Gopher basketball.
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Agreed. Didn't Dutcher work BB with Ted Robinson for awhile also.
 

howeda7 said:
People like to rip on Dick and Bert (who in the local media doesn't get ripped on?) but they're actually quite good. Bremer is an excellent play-by-play guy and I miss him and Dutcher doing Gopher basketball.
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agree!
 

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